My Heart to Keep: A Maxwell Family Saga - Book Four

by Alexander, S. B.

  A pensive expression washed over him. “Sorry, it can’t.”

  I folded my arms over my chest, feeling small and embarrassed.

  Liam came out of the room. “Are you ready to leave tomorrow?”

  “Leave?” The mouth dryness I’d had earlier returned, and I swallowed to get the lump in my throat to go down.

  Did his mom decide to move again?

  “Sorry, man,” Liam said. “I thought you told Quinn already.”

  Maiken paled. “No worries.”

  Liam went back into the waiting room.

  I bit my bottom lip. “What’s he talking about?” I craned my neck up at my boyfriend, or maybe he would be my ex in the next minute or so.

  Maybe moving was in the Ashford water.

  “Are you feeling better?” Maiken asked.

  I hugged myself. I had, but I wasn’t anymore. “Tell me.” I ground my back teeth together. Tears were on the precipice of spilling over like Niagara Falls.

  Don’t cry. You don’t know what he’s going to say yet.

  He was leaving. That was crying material for me.

  “I was going to tell you last night. Then the shit hit the fan. Anyway, I’m off to basketball camp for a month.”

  I should have been relieved it was just camp, but in my belly, I felt like a string in our relationship had broken. Maybe it was my hangover making me think the worst.

  “You’ll be gone the rest of the summer?”

  He tucked his hands into his jeans pockets. “Pretty much. Didn’t your dad ground you?”

  Tears stung my eyes. I wasn’t going to cry, at least not in front of Maiken.

  “When did you decide to go to camp?” I searched my brain, trying to remember if he had mentioned camp. Maybe I hadn’t been paying attention.

  “It was kind of last minute. Uncle Martin came through. He’s paying for camp.”

  I fidgeted with my fingers, trying desperately not to cry. “Can you meet me in the barn when I do my chores tonight?”

  He hunched his shoulders. “I don’t know, Quinn. Your dad was pretty clear I couldn’t see you.”

  “He won’t know.” I was practically begging. I couldn’t let Maiken leave without explaining why I’d been drinking, or hit Sloane, or made a mess of my summer.

  “I better not. I just stopped by to check on Celia. I have to go. My mom is waiting. I have a few last-minute things to get before I head out in the morning.”

  I shoved down the tears. “Wait. You’re only here to see Celia? You mean you weren’t going to tell me you were leaving tomorrow?” One tear slipped out, then another as my stomach churned.

  He glanced around, his blue eyes filling with frustration. “Quinn, I was going to call you.”

  “Why don’t I believe you?”

  “I don’t know. But if you didn’t get drunk, I would’ve told you about camp.”

  “So now it’s my fault?” I asked in a harsh tone even though I was ready to beg him to stay.

  He gave me a sad, or maybe pitying, grin. “We’ll talk soon. Give my best to Celia.” He spun on his heel.

  I rushed up and latched on to his arm. “Wait.”

  He narrowed his big blue eyes. “I have to go, Quinn.” There was no emotion in his tone at all.

  My heart disintegrated. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  “I’m going to basketball camp, nothing more. But I don’t like you drinking. It’s not something I’m going to deal with.” Then he strutted out.

  I was left with a crushed soul and a bleeding heart. I wasn’t sure our relationship would ever be the same.

  I wiped the sweat from my brow with my jersey. Between running suicides and the summer sun beating down on the outdoor court, all twelve of us were dying. The last two weeks had been brutal on my body and on my mind. I couldn’t shake the thought that Quinn and I had had our first fight.

  I was mad at her for getting drunk. I was mad at myself for walking away. I should’ve stayed and told her about camp, but the way she’d acted had given me the impression that no matter what I said, she would only see that I was leaving her. She knew how important basketball was to me.

  “Take a break and hydrate,” Coach Green yelled. “Maxwell, can I see you for a minute?” He waved his fat hand at me.

  Noah, my roomie at camp, and a hell of a shooting guard, widened his gray eyes as though he knew something I didn’t.

  I couldn’t imagine that I was in trouble. I’d followed the rules and busted my butt in workouts, training, and mock games. I even obeyed curfew when Noah didn’t. He’d tried to get me to sneak out with him, but I wasn’t about to mess up my training.

  I jogged up to Coach.

  He patted the spot on the bench next to him. “Sit.”

  I’d learned my first week at camp that Coach Green was the sports director at Greenridge Academy, the same school Mom was looking into for Jasper and Marcus, the same school she was trying to convince me to consider.

  At first, I’d thought Mom and Coach Dean were in cahoots when it came to picking this camp, which was only a town over from Greenridge Academy. As it turned out, though, Coach Dean was the one who’d recommended the camp.

  “If you want to get back into fighting form, then spend a month at basketball camp,” Coach Dean had said. “I know Coach Green well, and he will whip you into shape.”

  Coach Dean hadn’t lied either. Coach Green was like a military commander. We were up at dawn, running and working out before we had breakfast. Then we had two hours of classes on the game of basketball and plays. After that, it was off to practice on the court.

  I eased down on the wood bench as I watched the guys fan out to the coolers.

  Coach chugged from a water bottle then set it down. “I want to discuss something with you.” He sounded like he was about to break bad news to me.

  My pulse ticked up a notch. Maybe I was a terrible ball player. Maybe I didn’t stand a chance of playing for a Division I school.

  I started moving my foot, causing my knee to bounce up and down. “Just give it to me straight.” I didn’t like when anyone beat around the bush.

  “I would like for you to consider attending Greenridge Academy for your senior year as starting shooting guard. I’ve talked to Coach Dean about this.”

  I whipped my sweaty head at him, probably causing my brain to suffer from whiplash. “You have? He’s okay with me leaving?” A pang of hurt spread throughout my chest. Coach Dean had said he had big plans for me and the team. He and I had talked about the upcoming season, practices, the captain’s role, the new guys on the team, and even about state championships.

  Coach Green lifted up his ball cap, swiped a hand over his short salt-and-pepper hair, and then returned the cap to his head. “I know this sounds like it’s terrible news, but I struggled with my decision. Coach Dean and I are good friends. The last thing I want to do is steal his players. But he assures me he’s fine with me making the offer. He wants to give you the best opportunities. Look, Maiken, I know you had a terrible season last year. Coach Dean tells me you’ve been working your tail off. And I see it here. I’m highly impressed with your dedication and work ethic. You have great potential to play for the NBA one day.”

  His compliment dulled the pang in my chest and validated all the long workouts, the endless hours of shooting ball, and the days of pushing myself to the brink of pain even when I knew I should’ve taken breaks.

  Sighing, I glanced up at the clear blue sky, saying a prayer to Dad, who I hoped was watching over me. I longed to have him there, talking to me, giving me advice, helping me make the hard decisions, deal with girls, everything. Sadly, he wasn’t.

  I swallowed down the emotions clogging my throat. I wasn’t there to get teary-eyed. I was a young man who knew what he wanted, at least in the next phase of his life after high school.

  “I know this is sudden,” Coach Green said. “Just think about it. Talk to Coach Dean. I’ll show you around the school this weekend as well. We’re p
laying a scrimmage with the Greenridge team. Then afterward, you can make your decision. Fair enough?”

  That was more than fair. I found the timing suspect, though, since Mom was considering the school. “Coach, have you been talking to my mom?”

  Lines dented his high forehead. “Not at all. Should I?”

  I chuckled. “Nah. She’s been looking into Greenridge for us this year.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “She feels the school would be good for her five teenagers.”

  “I see. Greenridge is a great school and well known for preparing students for college. We have a great ROTC program for those interested in the military, and we have smaller classes than public schools. Every student who attends Greenridge is given a job on campus, from tutoring others, to working in the cafeteria, to leading and managing new students.”

  I wasn’t interested in ROTC, although if basketball didn’t pan out, then I’d always thought I would follow in Dad’s footsteps.

  “Has your mom visited the school yet?”

  “She’s supposed to in the next week or so. I guess my cousin Kross is supposed to accompany her and the family.”

  He rose, fingering his whistle. “Kross is a good egg. He did well while at Greenridge.”

  I wouldn’t exactly know, although he was a big-time boxer.

  “Let’s invite her up this weekend,” Coach said. “I’ll show her around. For now, get something to drink and think about our conversation.”

  “Yes, sir. Coach, what about the other guys? I’m sure they would like the same opportunity. Noah in particular.”

  Noah and I hadn’t talked much about his background except that he’d moved twice in the last three years. His mom accepted temporary assignments with the company she worked for, which kept them traveling around like gypsies.

  Coach smoothed a hand over his somewhat big belly. Word from some of the boys who’d attended his camp last year was that he liked beer. “None of them are as good as you, son. And I need a shooting guard.” He blew his whistle.

  The guys jogged over.

  Noah pulled me aside as I headed over to get some Gatorade. “What’s up, dude?”

  “Coach wants me to attend Greenridge this fall.”

  He slapped me on the back. “For real? That’s great.”

  “What would you do?” I asked. “You’ve heard of the school.”

  He ran his fingers through his black hair. “I would take it, man. Lots of guys from there have gone on to play in the big leagues.”

  I grabbed a drink. “Why don’t you enroll?”

  “Noah. Maiken,” Coach called. “Hurry up.”

  I discarded my cup in a box Coach had set out for trash.

  “My mom is taking a new assignment this fall, so we’re moving from Syracuse,” Noah said. “She hasn’t found out where, though.”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier if you went to a school like Greenridge since your mom travels a ton?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s not that simple.”

  I’d tried to get Noah to open up, but as soon as we started talking about family, he always shut down. So our conversations tended to revolve around sports and general topics of nothing. I had mentioned I had a girlfriend, but I didn’t go into details. He didn’t want to talk about family, and I didn’t want to talk about Quinn.

  We joined the group.

  “All right,” Coach said. “You boys did well today, and it’s time to put some of the things you’ve learned in the last couple of weeks to use. We’ll be playing the Greenridge basketball team this weekend at the school. That means we have three more days to go through the techniques you’ve learned in practice. I’m proud of each one of you. Now get back to the hotel and shower. We’ll meet in the lobby at five for dinner.”

  The guys scattered, chatting as they collected their gear.

  Noah tapped me on the arm. “Let’s head to the pool to cool off.”

  Some of the others around us agreed, perked up, and asked if they could join us.

  “The more, the merrier,” Noah said.

  The hotel we were staying at had a nice pool and Jacuzzi. My muscles could definitely benefit from the Jacuzzi.

  I grabbed my bag from the grassy area behind the basketball goal. “I’m in. I just need to make a call first.” I plucked my phone out of my bag and turned it on.

  Noah jogged up to Brady, another guy who hung out with us in the evenings.

  I tapped on Mom’s number as we headed to the hotel, which was less than a mile away.

  “Maiken,” Mom answered, excitement lacing her tone. “How’s camp going?”

  I’d spoken to her a couple of nights ago, but Mom was always eager to hear my voice. “Good. You’re not going to believe this. Coach Green wants me to play for Greenridge this year. Did you talk to him?”

  She laughed. “I don’t know Coach Green, honey. I sense you’re considering it, though.”

  I walked along the perimeter of the park, following a good distance behind the guys. “It’s pretty up here. Lots of trees and rolling hills.”

  “But?” she asked.

  “I kind of had my heart set on playing my last year with Kensington and for Coach Dean.”

  “I see,” she said. I could picture her staring out the window, her mind working overtime to find her next words. “I’ve made a decision. Jasper, Marcus, Emma, and Ethan will be attending Greenridge next year. At first, I was only considering Marcus and Jasper, but Emma and Ethan have expressed interest in the school. Financially, it might be tough at first, but with my job at the law firm now, I should be able to swing tuition.”

  “So Ethan wants to go to Greenridge?” I hadn’t spoken to my brother except a text here and there about Celia. I’d been happy to hear that she was doing better and was out of the hospital.

  “He does. You know he’s leaning toward the military, and Greenridge has a great ROTC program.”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised. Ethan had been talking about the military since he was a little boy.

  “Maiken,” Mom said. “I don’t want you to attend Greenridge because you think you have to babysit your siblings. Make the choice for you and not anyone else, not even Quinn. You have one year to get scouts to notice you.”

  A horn blew, making me flinch and orient my vision. I found myself about to cross the street without looking. I gestured to the driver with my hand that I was sorry as I backtracked onto the sidewalk.

  “Everything okay?” Mom asked.

  “I’m good. I’ll think about it, Mom. By the way, Coach Green invited you up to watch our scrimmage game at the academy this weekend.”

  “Oh? I wasn’t planning on touring the school for another week, but I can pile the family in the car and head up. I’ll let Kross know since he was planning on coming with us.”

  “Cool. I’ve got to run.”

  “Maiken, I love you,” Mom said. “And I’m very proud of you. I know if your dad were here, he would be too.” Her voice cracked on the last sentence.

  “I know he would.” A tear stung my eye. “I miss him.”

  “We all do. But remember what I told you—he’s with you every step of the way.”

  My chest hurt whenever we talked about Dad. “Love you too, Mom. I need to go. See you this weekend.” I hung up before I started bawling like a baby.

  I glanced around and tried to shake off my emotions.

  The hotel peeked out from behind the shops on Main Street. A few people went in and came out of the coffee shop next to me.

  I inhaled and waited for the crosswalk sign to light up.

  My mind worked overtime, rifling through the pros and cons of attending Greenridge or staying at Kensington. The only pro I could come up with for Greenridge was their basketball program.

  Despite the tension between Quinn and me, I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t want to break her heart. Yet I’d made a decision to pour every ounce of energy I had into basketball. So now was the time to
buck up.

  I gawked at the beautiful rolling green lawn of Greenridge Academy. In some way, the campus reminded me of the farm, but without the scent of manure and hay.

  I walked up to the edge of the parking lot, where the grass met the asphalt. A handful of cars were pulling in. Maiken’s mom had wrangled Jasper, Marcus, Ethan, and Emma into a small huddle behind me, talking family stuff that I didn’t need to hear.

  I was desperate to see Maiken. He didn’t know I was coming. I’d asked his family to keep it to themselves, although I didn’t know if any of the boys or Emma would blab to their brother. I suspected Marcus would since he and I weren’t on good terms.

  Nevertheless, I wanted to surprise Maiken, and if I were being honest, I was afraid if he knew I was coming, he would tell me to stay home. We hadn’t spoken since he’d left. However, we had swapped a few texts. Nothing of great substance filled our messages back and forth except that he was learning a lot. I owed him an enormous apology. I’d acted like a huge brat that day he’d shown up at the hospital.

  A car door slammed a moment before Emma sidled up to me. She flipped the tail of her ponytail over her shoulder and let it drape down her chest. Her light-brown hair was off-the-charts long, and she’d grown at least two inches since school let out. Before long, she would be as tall as Maiken. She was already approaching Ethan’s height, which was about two or three inches shorter than Maiken, who was six foot two. Marcus and Jasper weren’t far behind either.

  “This place is pretty lit,” she cooed as the sun glinted in her big brown eyes and sparkles of her makeup glistened.

  I hated to agree with her. I didn’t want to see Maiken leave Kensington or Ashford or me, but as excited as Emma was about attending a rich private school, I was afraid Maiken would jump on board with her and the rest of his siblings. I’d learned on the way up that he was considering the move, something he hadn’t mentioned to me, not even in a text, which was adding to my fear, nerves, and brooding.